About the Author

Nancy Churnin writes true stories about people who persevered to achieve their dreams and make the world a better place. She provides free teacher guides and a project for each book with a dedicated page on her website, nancychurnin.com, to encourage and celebrate kids to be heroes and heroines, too. She's available for bookings through Authors and More. Nancy is the award-winning author of 10 picture book biographies: THE WILLIAM HOY STORY, HOW A DEAF BASEBALL PLAYER CHANGED THE GAME, on the 2016 New York Public Library Best Books for Kids list, the 2017 Texas Library Association's 2X2 and Topaz lists, Maine's 2017-2018 Kennebec Valley Book Awards list, the 2018 Illinois School Library Media Association's Monarch Award Master List, Connecticut's 2018 Charter Oak Children's Book Awards list, the 2018-2019 Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Awards and the 2017-2018 Armadillo Readers' Choice Awards list. MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN is a 2021 Sakura Medal finalist, the 2018 winner of the South Asia Book Award, a 2019 Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award winner, a finalist for the 2018 Children and Teen's Choice Book Awards, a 2017 Junior Library Guild selection, a 2018 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, on the 2018 ILA-CBC Children's Choices list, a Silver Eureka Award-winner and a 2019 Little Free Libraries/Children's Book Council Action Book Club Selection. CHARLIE TAKES HIS SHOT: HOW CHARLIE SIFFORD BROKE THE COLOR BARRIER IN GOLF, winner of the Silver Eureka Honor Award, was featured at the Ruby Bridges Reading Festival at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and International Literacy Day in Austin. IRVING BERLIN, THE IMMIGRANT BOY WHO MADE AMERICA SING, a 2019 Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book, a 2019 Social Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People and multiple lists, including the Great Books for Kids 2018 list and the Best Jewish Children's Books of 2018 list. THE QUEEN AND THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE is on the 2018 A Mighty Girl list. MARTIN & ANNE, released in 2019, is on the 2021-2022 Louisiana Young Readers Choice Award list, on a Notable Books for a Global Society 2020 winner list, a Jewish Book Council pick for its Civil Rights and Race list, on the Brave Booklist, the Wisconsin State Reading Association's Picture This list, a Ruby Bridges Reading Festival selection and an EMissourian Buzz pick. BEAUTIFUL SHADES OF BROWN, HOW LAURA WHEELER WARING PAINTED HER WORLD, a 2021-2022 Towner Award nominee, is a National Council for the Social Studies and a Silver Eureka winner, and FOR SPACIOUS SKIES, KATHARINE LEE BATES AND THE INSPIRATION FOR "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL," a Cybil Awards finalist, both released in 2020 are Mighty Girl books of the year. DEAR MR. DICKENS and A QUEEN TO THE RESCUE, THE STORY OF Henrietta Szold, FOUNDER OF HADASSAH are both on A Mighty Girl List. DEAR MR. DICKENS, which received a starred review from School Library Journa

Read Next Recommendation